An Odd Conversation
by Aspergian Mind
Summary: After talking to Cole Sear at the church, Malcolm Crowe ,the next day, tries to talk to his mom, Lynn, to learn more from her. But the chat would not go so regular. Takes place in the apartment right before Cole and Malcolm's second meeting in the film.


**AN ODD CONVERSATION**

By: _The Aspergian Mind_

A/N: A one-shot that came out of my head one day and getting it done the next. My record timing for posting a one-shot.

One the primary criticisms of this movie is how the hell did Malcolm never know he was dead for so long? The primary attack is that scene beginning with Lynn Sear and Malcolm Crowe in the room together waiting right when Cole enters. I figured this is an interesting fill-in-the-blank scene to explore the changes we saw in Malcolm had before and after reuniting with Vincent Grey.

* * *

Dr. Malcolm Crowe looks up the steps to the top floor of the apartment building. _I guess it symbolizes their isolation...just like mine. _Malcolm thought to himself. That, his thoughts, has been his only company for so long. He lost the motivation to speak to others for some odd reason since that night. Malcolm shrugs the thought and starts the ascent.

_Sigh. I hope my people skills haven't detirated too much. Haven't talked to anyone anymore, not even my wife. Yesterday I had a talk with my first patient in a year, Cole. It was my first talk I can really remember having since talking to the doctors, a really odd conversation at that. _He finds it odd how the memory of his days at the hospital played out more like a projection to imprint something, rather than a memory. _Anyway, back to Cole. It felt like how my conversations use to be. _

Breaking from his thoughts, he ses that his thinking had occupied him through the entire ascent and sees the front door ahead. _Well, it's time to gradually move back into the social circle._

He reaches for the knob and turns it to find it unlocked. First thing he does is walk right in. "Hello. It's me, Dr. Malcolm, Cole's new doctor. Your door was unlocked so I'll just disregard with the knocking."

He sees the living room right ahead, there is a couch, but most importantly two seats facing each other. It'll work perfectly for interviewing both the mom and the son. "I'll sit in and wait in here."

_So what next? _Recollecting the basic socializing techniques, he is dumbfounded to have forgotten the most important fact upon visiting another person's place. He didn't knock, he just walked in and seated himself. _Why did I break the most sacred code of entering a private residence knowingly? Am I really out of touch? I hope I can fix it._

Malcolm remembers on creating justifiable excuses. "Didn't mean to not knock. I'm a bit anxious and wanted to talk to you a little bit before Cole walks in from school."

The mom comes walking in, Lynn Sear. Her attention oddly is more focused on the door. She opens it, looks outside, and gave it an assurance of closing it shut. Now she was shivering and leaves the room. _Let her take her time._

Lynn comes back and this time wearing a sweater. "Oh, why's it cold in here? I have the heat full blast; it usually doesn't get cold when Cole is away. What does it have to do with Cole?" Malcolm had never connected his patients with the temperatures of the room. "I don't know you tell me." Malcolm shrugs.

Lynn seats herself across from him. Not a word was spoken for few moments. _This is a long pause._

Lynn finally starts searching for words. "I need to say something to him. What can I say to him? He needs not just any old help from the doctor. A professional was assigned to Cole and even he was not sure." Malcolm decides it's a start and carries on from there. "Well who's to blame them? They have their own view of things."

"You try to bring them to your view of things, but to do that you have to break boundaries of comfort to have them understand, like sharing secrets." Lynn confesses aloud.

Malcolm is now getting curious. "Secrets?" _Does she know something?_

"Yeah…" Lynn says perplexed.

She continue to search for words, while Malcolm was trying to interpret the unusual exchange of words and her attention to him. Her eyes are adverted elsewhere.

"Is there something you've told---"

"I've been with Cole all his my life, and it feels cold around him. Like there never was any warmth in his heart. Not like he's heartless, but…mortified or disturbed."

Malcolm sighs at Lynn's inconsistency at following where he's trying to lead this conversation. "So your son has been keeping to himself all his life? He couldn't communicate well with people, I guess. How does he fair in school?" _Can you respond to what I say like you can hear me?_

Lynn tries to look for words again. _Is she talking to me or contemplating with herself? _"Cole will be walking in any minute; I don't expect him to say anything about friends. He couldn't make friends the way he is." Lynn said, confirming her thoughts.

Malcolm nods 'yes'. _That's a bit more something of a direct answer._ Or is it that he's becoming socially handicapped. "He looks disheartened all the time from school. Just mention nothing, just happy things."

"Yeah, nothing wrong with a little positive input. Though I'll need to talk to him some more. I'll visit you later in the month, after learning from Cole first hand. I'll accompany him…you know, before, after, and during school hours." Malcolm says addressing protocol that was in his job description.

"Lynn? Lynn Sear?" She is occupied looking in front of her, but not at him. He then realized that she had never made eye contact.

_Well that just wraps up my conversation with the Lynn Sear until Cole Sear arrives._ _That was the most discrepant conversation I ever had. Haven't they been like this for a while? To ones he talked to at all? Maybe Cole Sear will be more corresponding with me. _

Cole Sear walks in through the door, the one who knows how to communicate to a person like Malcolm.

* * *

A/N: The exchange of dialogue didn't make any sense? Well I intended the talk between them to be as disproportionate as a deaf person talking to a mute without Malcolm realizing it, or the audience in fact, if this scene was written into the movie.


End file.
